Car · Hyundai problems

2016 Hyundai Sonata problems

728 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (63% of them). NHTSA also lists 124 service bulletins and 9 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 19. Deaths: 1.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 728 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Engine and engine cooling462 · 63%
• Other or unknown91 · 13%
• Electrical system89 · 12%
• Power train (transmission and drive)59 · 8%
• Service brakes46 · 6%
• Exterior lighting38 · 5%
• Fuel system34 · 5%
• Steering33 · 5%

19 smaller areas not shown (140 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 124 repair bulletins from Hyundai for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. 26-GI-004HReceived October 28, 2026

   Backup camera and sensors

   Some Hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (PDW) sensor(s) that may trigger various DTCs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the PDW...

2. 26-EM-016HReceived October 14, 2026

   Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption.

3. Z05 OLReceived September 9, 2026

   Certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk.

4. 26-01-013H-2Received June 6, 2026

   Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions.

5. 9C2 060518Received June 6, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   Following completion of Service Campaign 9C2 (Theta II Emissions Improvement), certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting condition during cold start operation.

6. 26-BD-002H DNReceived May 8, 2026

   Some Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk.

7. 9C2 OLReceived April 22, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   Certain 2019 - 2020 model year Santa Fe, 2017 - 2018 model year Santa Fe Sport, 2015 - 2019 model year Sonata, and 2018 - 2021 model year Tucson vehicles may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions.

8. 26-EE-003HReceived April 21, 2026

   Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata. Recall repairs are free at a Hyundai dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 20V746000December 1, 2020

   Engine

   The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which over time can result in engine damage.

2. 15V678000October 20, 2015

   Electrical system

   The affected vehicles are equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light intended to warn the driver if there is an ABS malfunction.

3. 21V749000September 24, 2021

   Exterior lighting

   The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of...

See all 9 recalls for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Sonata will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

This model year has an engine recall in NHTSA's data. Before you pay for an engine repair, check the recalls and ask the dealer about warranty extensions for your VIN. Those repairs can be free.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Engine and engine cooling 462 complaints · 63%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Electrical system 89 complaints · 12%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Power train (transmission and drive) 59 complaints · 8%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Service brakes 46 complaints · 6%

• Brake pad replacement (front)$190 to $400
• Brake rotors and pads (front)$320 to $790
• Brake pad replacement (rear)$180 to $420
• Brake caliper replacement (one wheel)$240 to $590
• Brake fluid flush$75 to $180

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2016 Hyundai Sonata: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Hyundai Sonata?

Of the 728 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata, 462 (63%) name engine and engine cooling, and 89 (12%) name electrical system. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2016 Hyundai Sonata reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 19 of the 728 complaints as involving a crash and 28 as involving a fire. They also reported 19 injuries and 1 death. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2016 Hyundai Sonata have?

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata. Recall repairs are free at a Hyundai dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 124 repair bulletins for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata.

More

• 2018 Sonata problems
• 2017 Sonata problems
• 2015 Sonata problems
• 2014 Sonata problems
• 2013 Sonata problems
• 2012 Sonata problems
• 2011 Sonata problems
• 2010 Sonata problems
• 2016 recalls
• All Hyundai recalls
• Hyundai problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.